CSN Houston looking to provide free 45-day trial

On this episode of the CSN Houston saga, the RSN is attempting to provide a free 45-day trial to providers that still don't carry the network, including DirecTV, Dish, UVerse, and Time Warner. The trial will continue through December 15th, and features 22 Rockets games.

The move isn't all great for the network though, as DirecTV is opting not to participate, using the excuse "we don't have an agreement, so we can't offer a preview". Gee, it's almost as if this isn't all on Comcast – they try to reach out an olive branch to providers, and get that olive branch snapped in half.

On a related note to this latest bit of drama, Judge Marvin Isgur denied the Astros' dismissal request of the bankruptcy filing, but allowed them to negotiate with other parties on reaching carriage agreements. A deadline of December 12th was set for agreements to be reached.

And here we are now. CSN Houston is trying to keep things moving forward, but there's a solid chance the providers will follow in the footsteps of DirecTV and ignore the free preview. If that happens, you really can't blame the network – they're trying, and simply getting rebuffed at every turn. What more can they really do if the providers don't want to carry the network for free?